Sewing Circle: Voter Registration, Support In and Out
I’m pretty excited after this week’s debate. Confidence in Harris’ abilities, admiration for her virtues, and a hefty dose of schadenfreude for the bad night Trump had are all swirling around right now, lifting my spirits.
But debates aren’t votes, polls aren’t votes, the only thing that matters is votes. So let’s buckle down and see what we can do to build on what Harris started.
Help the Springfield Haitian Community
Of course, part of the fallout from the debate has been the racist stories about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. Some people have really seized on this and are threatening Haitians, calling in bomb threats, and generally making things awful. If you can spare some cash, the Haitian Community Support Center of Springfield could use donations to help deal with the result of Trump’s debate lies.
Join Vote Forward’s New Registration Drive
Vote Forward has started a mail-right-away campaign sending letters to unregistered voters in swing states. These letters need to be sent before October 1, so that people will have a chance to register (or check their registration!) before the states’ deadlines. Sign up on the Vote Forward dashboard here and send a few!
Keep an Eye Out for Opportunities Near You
The Harris campaign has a very active list of local events, from postcarding evenings to phone banks to a lot of different kinds of trainings. Emily’s List (no relation) also has a signup for ways to help women candidates, and the list of possibilities goes beyond phonebanking and doorknocking.
Support Each Other
We’re all carrying an awful lot right now. Whether you’re doorknocking and phonebanking, managing return-to-school schedule changes, or trying to figure out whether and how much you can help, you’re part of a big community of people striving and working and hoping all together.
That’s why the closing of these letters is “You are Not Alone.” (It’s also from the Hidden Almanac podcast, but that’s another matter.) You’re not alone; you can support others, and you can reach out and seek the same support.
So for one last “thing to do” from this Sewing Circle email, I suggest you pick someone you know who is working for a better world, and offer them some support. Whether it’s a few words of encouragement, a thank-you card, an hour or two of free time, a ride and an errand, or a delivery of baked goods, find some way to give them a boost.
There’s a lot of good news in the world right now: here’s a sample.
Wetlands in Yosemite are being restored to conditions not seen for over a century.
We’ve got just over 50 days before the election, and then the whole future stretching out past that. Reach out to each other and get the support you need, and remember: You are Not Alone.